The primary goal of this project has been the elucidation of the structure of reactive metabolites which are responsible for the carcinogenic, cytotoxic, and mutagenic activity of benzo[a]pyrene and other polycyclic hydrocarbons. The approach taken consists of: i) synthesis of primary oxidative metabolites as well as selected secondary oxidative metabolites, ii) study of the metabolism of these hydrocarbons with liver microsomes, as well as with purified and reconstituted cytochrome P-450 systems with and without epoxide hydrolase, iii) tests for inherent mutagenicity of the synthetic metabolites toward bacterial and mammalian cells, iv) elucidation of the roles of the cytochrome P-450 system and epoxide hydrolase in potentiating or obliterating the mutagenicity of these metabolities, v) determination of the carcinogenic activity of these compounds, vi) determination of the rate and nature of the products formed when reactive metabolites such as arene oxides and diol epoxides react with biopolymers and less complex model compounds. A general theory of hydrocarbon-induced carcinogenesis has been formulated and its predictions are being tested with synthetic potential metabolites of several hydrocarbons. Based on the presently available data the bay region theory has excellent predictive value.